The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) recognizes that many of today’s environmental challenges cannot be addressed by regulation alone. These challenges require a broader mix of solutions—regulatory programs, information exchange, education, technical assistance, grants, and partnership programs. To supplement its regulatory functions, OPP established PestWise. PestWise is a suite of five collaborative programs that focus on reducing the risks associated with pests and pesticide use through environmental stewardship efforts. Though each program is unique, they all employ three common approaches to advance innovative pest management practices.

Established in 1994, the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) is a partnership program that works with the nation’s pesticide-user community to reduce human health and environmental risks associated with pesticide use and implement pollution prevention strategies. PESP promotes the adoption of innovative, alternative pest control practices, such as IPM and the use of biopesticides. PESP is guided by the principle that, while government regulation can reduce pesticide risk, the informed actions of pesticide users can potentially reduce pesticide risk more efficiently and to a greater extent. Based on this principle, program membership and participation are completely voluntary.

Biopesticide Demonstration Program

Established in 2003, the Biopesticide Demonstration Program (BDP) is a pesticide risk reduction partnership program coordinated by EPA. Jointly funded and administered by EPA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4), the BDP is a competitive grants program funding field demonstrations of registered biopesticides used within IPM systems. Through its partnerships, the BDP and its Biopesticide Technology Transfer Initiative seek to:

Increase awareness of effective options for integrating biologically based technologies into existing crop production systems, and

Promote the use of novel combinations of biopesticides to enhance product performance.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Schools Program

The IPM in Schools Program is a coordinated, national effort, led by EPA and other IPM-promoting organizations, to make safe and effective pest management a standard practice in all of our Nation’s schools. Through this effort, the IPM in Schools Program strives to:

Make schools a safer place in which to learn and work by decreasing pesticide exposure risks;

Increase the number of schools adopting IPM, with all U.S. schools implementing IPM programs by 2015;

The Landscaping Initiative is a collaborative partnership between EPA and various businesses, lawn care professionals, government agencies, and community organizations. The Landscaping Initiative seeks to enhance the environmental, human health, and economic benefits associated with landscapes while reducing the need for pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, and energy inputs by working in concert with nature.